Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-01-16

Dohy ehu cAoSbciotS 49,
look as IL it could stand any more knock
downs at all, but as it persisted in its
mute demands Of some sort, old Sandy
cast about him furtively for something
to wrap it up in. Nothing satisfac-
tory presented itself to his view. The
only shawl that was visible was the n
pinned up against the window, and 1t
was SO exceedingly dirty and moth eaten
that even il he had felt at liberty to in
terfere with the arrangements Of the
tenant Of the room in her absence he
would not have used it. The Midgc,
growing tired OF his unexplained inactiv-
ity, emitteda low wall from its small,
parched throat which seemed to throw
old Sandy completely on his beam ends.
Don't cry, Nudge. Bless my soul.
don't cry. You shall have a walk"
With sudden decision no jcrked of
his old tweed coat, which, though cruel
ly inadequate out there on the wind
swept streets even when he had been
weather boarded with his wooden adver-
tiscments, would doubtless present q
luxurious contrast for the Nudge TO the
wrinklcd and GRUMPY quilt that he was
then enveloped in.
lie did it rather clumsily, but the
Nudge was no %pampered darling of for
tune and allowed himself to be rolled
face downward and incased in old
Sandy's coat without protest. Only
once he gave O sigh Of relief when he
was finally hoisted high up and laid
against Sandy's restless breast, with his
small hot head resting on the old mans
uncoated shoulder. When old Sandy
began to creak soberly backward and
forward wei the bare floor in his vocal
shoes, the canary birds, concluding by
this time either that he was a harmless
sort of monster whose presence should
not be allowed to curtail their enjoy
ment of the sunshine, or else that the
sounds emitted by those shoes must be
drowned at all hazards, began singing
again with all the capacity of six little
yellow Threats. Sandy quite approved
OF this performance on their part, and
s~tationing himself in the very broadest
sunbeam he could find he turned his
back toward the cages so as to bring the
Midgc's weazcned face close to the pretty
things singing there so airily in the sun
shine, and singing as il there had never
hal a heart ached or broken in all this
hard world. Purity burds singing for
Midge!'
lie said it very persuasively, but the
Nudge sisniGcd his disapproval of this
halt by bringing his small. cold feet
into convulsive contact with Sandy's
stomach. and ~clutclling fccbly at the
shirt collar against which one hot little
claw rested.
I'm an idiot, Nudge, of course I am.
What's the purity birdsto you when you
amt ever been out of sight or hearing
Of their everlasting wobblings But
there! money is in 'em, Milge. Won
der where she is all this time" and full
OF c~ontntion for his error in Judgment
old Sandy resumed his tramp while the
Midge lay motionless in his inexperienced
arms. 1t seemed to him a very long
time that lac crcaked up and down that
bare iloorcd room with the Nidge's little
hot head resting on his shoulder. Long
enough for him to make a great many
somber reflections on the ~barrenness of
its appointments. lie had never seen it
before by daylight. He had always
como Of evenings, when he was legiti-
mately freed from his boards and was at
liberty 10 look after Jim's wife and boy,
as he had promised faithfully to do when
Jim, poor fellow, had died nearly a year
gone now. IL hadn't been much of an
undertaking nor at oil unpleasant. for
Jims wife was nice little creature, and
it hal shortened many an evening for
old Sandy 10 sit M the room where the
cooking Stove ami tho blby's cradle and
the high swung clAar, birds cages were
all equally at home, and watch Jim's
wife at her sewing. She was always
busy and neat and trim when old Sandy
came, and careful of the Nudge, too. and
that was What made it SO hard to under
stand what lookcdhke such cruel neglect
on her part now. lie didn't deny il to
himself that q little later on, when Jim's
memory hal grown less green, he would
like TO ask JIm's wife to be his wife and
Jim's boy should I've his boy.
Presently The door opened and Jim's
wife stool where Sandy himself had
stood about half an hour earlier. She
was very pretty; especially at that mo-
ment, with her laige, wondering eyes
fixed On old Sandy and n flush iIom hur-
ried walking or some other cause dycing
her cheeks a bright red.
You here this time of day?" she said
with more Of wonder than gratitude in
her voice, and stepping aside she dropped
u large paper parcel Oh the old trunk be-
hind the bed head.
Old Sandy looked at her APOLOGIZE
cally: "lIe seemed so bad last night, YOU
know, / thought III run up and ask
after Inn. | didn't think to stop SO long,
but finding hun alone
Jim's wife had all this time been get
ting ont Of her bonnet and a rather smart
looking new walking jacket. She an
swcrcd testify with her back to him;
"Yes. 1 ran out for a minute 20 do
an GRAND and borrow a coal Of fire from
MIS-. sIerric across the hall. ] made a
good sale Of five birds to-day"
"And forgot tho coal Of fre"-old
Sandy was regarding the new finery
with gloomy eyes-"the Nudge was
most froze when ] got here"
II can set it now" the girl answered
with flushing checks, and started once